81 FR 11739 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 44 (March 7, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11739-11741]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04993]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Survey of State Government Research and Development.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0933.
    Form Number(s): Survey Frame Review Module; SRD-1 (State Agency Web 
Form).
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Number of Respondents: 604.
    Average Hours per Response: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 1,056.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau is requesting clearance to 
conduct the Survey of State Government Research and Development (SGRD) 
for the 2016-

[[Page 11740]]

2018 survey years with the revisions outlined in this document. The 
Census Bureau conducts this survey on behalf of the National Science 
Foundation's (NSF) National Center for Science and Engineering 
Statistics (NCSES). The NSF Act of 1950 includes a statutory charge to 
``provide a central clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, 
and analysis of data on scientific and engineering resources and to 
provide a source of information for policy formulation by other 
agencies in the Federal Government.'' Under the aegis of this 
legislative mandate, NCSES and its predecessors have sponsored surveys 
of research and development (R&D) since 1953, including the SGRD since 
2006. This survey has helped to expand the scope of R&D collections to 
include state governments, where previously there had been no regularly 
established collection efforts, and thus a gap in the national 
portfolio of R&D statistics.
    NCSES sponsors surveys of R&D activities of Federal agencies, 
higher education institutions, and private industries. The results of 
these surveys provide a consistent information base for both federal 
and state government officials, industry professionals, and researchers 
to use in formulating public policy and planning in science and 
technology. These surveys allow for the analysis of current and 
historical trends of R&D in the U.S. and in international comparisons 
of R&D with other countries. The data collected from the SGRD fills a 
void that previously existed for collection of R&D activities. Although 
NCSES conducted periodic data collections of state government R&D in 
1995, 1988 and 1987, more frequent collection was necessary to account 
for the changing dynamic of state governments' role in performing and 
funding R&D and their role as fiduciary intermediaries of federal funds 
for R&D. The survey is a census of state government departments, 
agencies, commissions, public authorities, and other dependent entities 
as defined by the Census Bureau's Census of Governments program, that 
performed or funded R&D activities in a given fiscal year.
    The Census Bureau, serving as collection agent, employs a 
methodology similar to the one used to collect information from state 
and local governments on other established censuses and surveys. This 
methodology involves identifying a central coordinator in each state 
who will assist Census Bureau staff in identifying appropriate state 
agencies to be surveyed. Since not all state agencies have the budget 
authority or operational capacity to perform or fund R&D, NCSES and 
Census Bureau staffs have identified those agencies most likely to 
perform or fund R&D based on state session laws, authorizing 
legislation, budget authority, previous R&D activities, and reports 
issued by state government agencies. The state coordinators, based on 
their knowledge of the state government's own activities and 
priorities, are asked to confirm which of the selected agencies 
identified should be sent the survey for a given fiscal year or to add 
additional agencies to the survey frame. These state coordinators also 
verify the final responses at the end of the data collection cycle and 
may assist with nonresponse follow-up with individual state agencies. 
The collection approach using a central state coordinator is used 
successfully at the Census Bureau in surveys of local school districts, 
as well as the annual surveys of state and local government finance.
    As part of the President's FY 2014 Budget Request to Congress, the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recommended NCSES receive an 
additional ``$500,000 to increase the frequency of the Survey of State 
Government Research and Development.'' Starting with the FY 2016 survey 
cycle, NCSES will collect data on an annual basis instead of a biennial 
format that was used for state government fiscal years 2010 and 2011, 
2012 and 2013, and 2014 and 2015. This change from biennial to annual 
collection will increase the frequency and timeliness of survey 
results; thus increasing the utility of the statistics for data users, 
including the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the state governments 
themselves, while also allowing for the annual inclusion of these data 
in NCSES's own National Patterns of R&D report. Currently, NCSES must 
develop estimates for the non-Federal government component of the 
National Patterns data during the survey's off-year. Increasing the 
frequency by changing to an annual data collection cycle will allow for 
more accurate National Patterns of R&D. Results from the National 
Patterns are used by OMB during the budget formulation process, as well 
as by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and others 
interested in science and technology investments, and international 
competitiveness of R&D.
    The 2016 survey will follow the same content that was collected 
during the FY 2014 and FY 2015 Survey of State Government R&D.
    The survey announcements and forms used in the SGRD are:
    Survey Announcement. The Governor's letter is mailed to the 
Governor's Office to announce the survey collection and to solicit 
assignment of a State Coordinator. The State Coordinator's Announcement 
is sent electronically at the beginning of each survey period to 
solicit assistance in identifying state agencies which may perform or 
fund R&D activities. Later, state coordinators are asked to review 
final data submitted by state agencies.
    Form SRD-1. This form contains item descriptions and definitions of 
the research and development items collected by the Census Bureau on 
behalf of the NSF. It is used primarily as a worksheet and instruction 
guide by the state agencies. All state agencies supply their data by 
electronic means.
    Final survey results produced by NCSES contain state and national 
estimates and are useful to a variety of data users interested in R&D 
performance, including: The National Science Board; the OMB; the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and other science policy 
makers; institutional researchers; and private organizations; and many 
state governments.
    Legislators, policy officials, and researchers rely on statistics 
to make informed decisions about R&D investment at the Federal, state, 
and local level. These statistics are derived from the existing NCSES 
sponsored surveys of Federal agencies, higher education institutions, 
and private industry. The total picture of R&D expenditures, however, 
had been incomplete due to the lack of data from state governments 
prior to this implementation of the SGRD in 2006, which now fills that 
void.
    State government officials and policy makers garner the most 
benefit from the results of this survey. Governors and legislatures 
need a reliable, comprehensive source of data to help in evaluating how 
best to attract the high-tech R&D industries to their state. Officials 
are able to evaluate their investment in R&D based on comparisons with 
other states. These comparisons include the sources of funding, the 
type of R&D being conducted, and the type of R&D performer.
    State governments serve a unique role within the national portfolio 
of R&D. Not only are they both performers and funders of R&D like other 
sectors such as the Federal Government, higher education, or industry, 
but they also serve as fiduciary intermediaries between the Federal 
Government and other R&D performers while also providing state specific 
funds for R&D.

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The information collected from the SGRD provides data users with 
perspective on this complex flow of funds. Survey results are used at 
the Federal level to assess and direct investment in technology and 
economic issues. Congressional committees and the Congressional 
Research Service use results of the R&D surveys. The BEA uses these 
data to estimate the contribution of state agency-funded R&D to the 
overall impact of treating R&D as an investment in BEA's statistics of 
gross domestic product by state-area.
    NSF also uses data from this survey in various publications 
produced about the state of R&D in the U.S. The Science and Engineering 
Indicators, for example, is a biennial report mandated by Congress and 
describes quantitatively the condition of the country's R&D efforts, 
and includes data from the SGRD. Survey results are also included in 
the National Patterns of Research and Development report's tabulations.
    The availability of state R&D survey results are posted to NSF's 
Web page allowing for public access from a variety of other data users 
as well. Media, university researchers, nonprofit organizations, and 
foreign government officials are also consumers of state R&D 
statistics. All users are able to utilize this information in an 
attempt to better understand the Nation's R&D resources.
    Affected Public: State, local, or tribal government.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b) and 
Title 42, United States Code, Sections 1861-76 (National Science 
Foundation Act of 1950, as amended).
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: March 2, 2016.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-04993 Filed 3-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P